Candidate Eligibility, Watch List Inclusion & Voting Criteria

Voting Procedures:

Voters will receive an email the day each voting period opens. In that email will be a link to the voting website. Voters must have biletnikoffaward@biletnikoffaward.com on their white list to accept emails. The email will detail how long (The voting period at each of the three votes includes many days as a convenience to the busy schedules of our voters) voters will have to make their selection via the online voting system.

Write-in votes:

Any voter may write in any receiver not listed on the Foundation ballot through the vote for the three finalists. There is a designated space on the ballot for writing in candidates.

Candidate Eligibility & Voting Criteria:

The candidate for the Biletnikoff Award defined:

Every Biletnikoff Award candidate must be an active collegiate football receiver (any player who receives a forward pass regardless of position) at an NCAA Division 1 (FBS) institution. For instance, players at positions of tight end, wide receiver, slot back, running back, and any other position in which a player may catch a legal forward pass are eligible to be selected. Moreover, actual, on-field performance, not college or professional football potential, is the basis for Biletnikoff Award recognition.

Every candidate, to remain a candidate, must not be currently declared ineligible to participate in Division l (FBS) football by the NCAA at the time of any vote of the Biletnikoff Award National Selection Committee.

Every candidate, to remain a candidate, must not be currently ineligible to participate in Division l (FBS) football by decision of the candidate’s institution or team at the time of any vote of the Biletnikoff Award National Selection Committee.

An ineligible player cannot be placed on the watch list and cannot remain on the watch list during that ineligibility; he can be added to or reinstated to the watch list based on proper conduct and on-field performance when his eligibility is restored at the discretion of the Foundation.

Every candidate must display leadership and self-discipline; and he must have a significant, positive impact on his team’s success. Misconduct is a negative indicator of leadership, self-discipline, and positive team influence.

Every candidate must display a commitment always to play at his best.

A number of receivers are added to the watch list during the season based on performance. Actual, not potential, performance is the basis for inclusion on the Biletnikoff Award Watch List. A season-ending injury will cause the removal of that injured receiver from the watch list and, hence, consideration for winning the FanVote tally and the Biletnikoff Award. Nonetheless, if the receiver who suffers a season-ending injury has completed a relatively substantial body of work for that season, he may be allowed to remain in contention for the Biletnikoff Award. Once the final watch list is submitted to the national selection committee, every receiver on the watch list remains eligible to win the Biletnikoff Award even if he subsequently suffers a season-ending injury.

In addition, other relevant factors and procedures (such as the ones identified below) may be considered by voters during the selection process.

A voter may consider the quality of the candidate’s opposing teams and the candidate’s team’s strength of schedule, as well as the candidate’s team’s strength of season record during the season he’s a candidate.

A voter may consider the candidate’s statistical performance for the season he is a candidate. The Bilenikoff Award is not a career award. Rather, the Biletnikoff Award is a season award, recognizing the outstanding receiver, regardless of position, in college football for that particular season.

Watch List Additions:

The Foundation, when appropriate, will add receivers to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List (based upon performance and criteria as stated in the Eligibility and Criteria section above) without prejudice up to the commencement of voting by the Biletnikoff Award National Selection Committee.

Receivers Returning From Serious, Prior Current Spring Injury

The Biletnikoff Award will carefully evaluate the readiness for high-level, on-the-field performance during the upcoming season of any receiver returning from serious injury suffered during the current spring or prior season before rendering a decision regarding inclusion on the watch list.

Player Privacy:

The Foundation refrains from publicly discussing the inclusion or omission of individual candidates on the watch list as a measure of respect to the candidate’s privacy.

Composition of the Distinguished National Selection Committee:

The Biletnikoff Award National Selection Committee consists of over 550 esteemed sports writers, analysts, and commentators who cover college football on a national, regional, or conference level, past award winners of the Biletnikoff Award, and distinguished receivers, players, and coaches of the past. Foundation Trustees do not vote and have never voted.

Secret and Secure Ballot and Voting Integrity:

The Foundation does not reveal the vote of any individual selection committee member; however, any selection committee member may reveal his or her own vote. All votes will be submitted electronically via a secure online ballot voting system supervised by a prominent CPA firm.

The Foundation does not publicly comment on specific voting results regarding any receiver beyond reporting the identity of the semi-finalists, the finalists, and the winner.

Trustees do not vote. The Foundation has immense respect for the wisdom of the voters of the National Selection Committee, considered one of the best in college sports. The Foundation provides a highly detailed ballot through which the will of the voters can be fully expressed.

FanVote:

The Fan Vote posted on the website (equivalent to a vote of one national selection committee member) will count as one additional vote during each voting period for the semifinalists, finalists, and winner.

NCFAA

The Biletnikoff Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). The NCFAA was founded in 1997 as a coalition of the major collegiate football awards to protect, preserve and enhance the integrity, influence and prestige of the game’s predominant awards. The NCFAA encourages professionalism and the highest standards for the administration of its member awards and the selection of their candidates and recipients. For more information, visit the association’s official website, www.ncfaa.org.